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Utah filmmaker Richard Dutcher sues, says ‘Nightcrawler’ copies his movie ‘Falling
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 2/20/2015 | Pamela Mason

Posted on 02/22/2015 1:04:11 AM PST by svxdave

Utah filmmaker Richard Dutcher has filed suit claiming "Nightcrawler," a 2014 movie nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay, is a derivative work that rips off his film "Falling."

In a suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Dutcher seeks an injunction stopping the copying, public display or distribution of "Nightcrawler." In addition, the filmmaker is requesting an unspecified amount of money for the alleged infringement on his copyright for "Falling."

Named as defendants are Bold Films LP, Bold Films Productions, Open Road Films LLC and NBC Universal Media LLC. "Nightcrawler" was written and directed by Dan Gilroy, who assigned his interest and rights, including the registered copyright, to Bold Films, the suit says..

(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: falling; movie; nightcrawler; oscars
This is a Big Deal. This will be the Utah Film Industry vs. Hollywood and begins just before the Oscars.

Check out the "Falling" Trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYUC_RurZcA

1 posted on 02/22/2015 1:04:12 AM PST by svxdave
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To: svxdave

Welcome back to FR, this is important to Mormons?

Why?


2 posted on 02/22/2015 1:09:57 AM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: svxdave

What!?

So I can’t pen a cheap murder mystery wherein it turns out that the butler did it, because someone already wrote a tale that was similar?

Only way I can see to prove such a thing is if the author took his screenplay to the producers of “Nightcrawler” and tried to sell them the story... even so, it’s a difficult proposition unless the tales are nearly identical in all respects.


3 posted on 02/22/2015 1:13:36 AM PST by Bobalu (If we live to see 2017 we will be kissing the ground)
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To: Bobalu

This isn’t particularly important to any religious faith. “Falling” is heavy R Rated. “Nightcrawler” however, was nominated for best original screenplay when in fact it was a knockoff. No question about it, it is a difficult proposition as Bobalu suggests.

Here is another link:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Stephen-Silverman-Files-Lawsuit-Against-Bold-Films-for-Alleged-Copyright-Infringement-on-Oscar-Nominated-Film-NIGHTCRAWLER-20150221

We’ll see what happens when someone takes on Hollywood.


4 posted on 02/22/2015 1:54:20 AM PST by svxdave (Life is too short to wear a fake Rolex.)
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To: svxdave

I wouldn’t hold your breath, that article you linked to wasn’t very convincing.


5 posted on 02/22/2015 2:16:25 AM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12; svxdave

We just watched Nightcrawler the other day. Visually I thought it was stunning and Jake G. (too lazy to look up spelling) is excellent. That being said it was also a bit silly in a way.

I never saw “Falling” so I can’t judge, but I certainly think the part about filming in the same locations is a bit of a stretch.

They were filmed in LA (I presume), how many thousands and thousands of films have been shot in LA? As for a Mormon Temple being shown, I didn’t notice that, but, would you say one film set in NYC was derivative of another because each had a shot of St. Patrick’s Cathedral? Or Macy’s?

They are going to need a lot more than that to convince a judge or jury.


6 posted on 02/22/2015 4:28:47 AM PST by jocon307 (Tell it like it is.)
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To: svxdave

Later


7 posted on 02/22/2015 4:31:16 AM PST by gaijin
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To: jocon307

I never watched either.


8 posted on 02/22/2015 4:40:36 AM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12; svxdave

I’d think the bigger problem for “Falling” (if it has a problem which I guess it may) is that its title is so similar to “Falling Down” that dreadful anti-white male movie with Michael Douglas from a few years back.


9 posted on 02/22/2015 5:26:31 AM PST by jocon307 (Tell it like it is.)
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To: svxdave
We’ll see what happens when someone takes on Hollywood.

Perhaps it's a setup to generate controversy as Doogie Howser desires to try to make Hollywood's self-pleasure circle relevant again, not to mention to get people to both "Falling" and "Nightcrawler"?

10 posted on 02/22/2015 6:39:45 AM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Calvin Locke

“Falling” has not been released yet. It has only been shown in three theaters for several weeks for introduction and reviews to the public and critics. I was one of the lucky ones to see it and I loved it!

People won’t be able to see “Falling” as a result of the controversy. Its release date still has not been disclosed. The “Drudge Report” noted that “Doogie Howser” was looking for a controversy to liven up the Oscars and now he has one.


11 posted on 02/22/2015 7:21:58 AM PST by svxdave (Life is too short to wear a fake Rolex.)
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